18 April 2017
Leading the way to office success
On Saturday 18 March 2017, five members of Woking Borough Council staff, including Councillor Amanda Boote, turned up bright and early at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, ready to learn how to lead.
The willing volunteers were taking part in a day-long Leadership Challenge alongside 70 other participants from businesses such as DHL and Balfour Beattie, which was designed to give them an understanding of military leadership techniques, and how mastering these can translate into useful skills for day-to-day working life.
The day’s exercises were lead by serving and reservist officers - students and working people who are paid to volunteer their time to the Armed Forces on a regular basis throughout the year – and began with an enlightening talk from Major Andrew Knight, of the Royal Signals, SO2 Employer Engagement on how leadership in the Forces has evolved over time.
Glenn Thorogood, Business Liaison Assistant, explained:
“I found the talk on leadership really interesting. I am quite a quiet person, and what I think of as leadership does not come naturally to me. However, Major Knight explained that the perfect Army leader does not just bark out orders, in the stereotypical way that you might imagine. Instead, a leader should consider the individual, the team and the task and you shouldn’t overload or be overbearing, instead you should try to find the perfect balance for considered, structured leadership.”
After their introduction, Glenn and the rest of the Woking Borough Council staff were separated into different teams alongside other participants, and set a number of daunting tasks throughout the day. The tasks ranged from shifting gun parts through an obstacle course, to mathematical problems, to treating gory injuries after a simulated helicopter crash. The exercises were designed to test teamwork, strategy, working under pressure and prioritisation, among other skills, as well as giving participants an insight into the type of training undertaken by reservists.
Health and Well-being Development Officer, Gary Cordery, said:
“I definitely gained an understanding of the requirements of being a reservist and a good insight into the wide array of specialist areas you can work in. I think I would consider being a reservist if I felt I could commit the time required. Currently I don’t think I could, but I certainly wouldn’t rule out considering it in the future. I would definitely recommend this day to other people - not only was it great fun, but I met a lot of new people and thoroughly enjoyed being challenged. The satisfaction of completing each exercise as a team was well worth it.”
Zafar Iqbal, Senior Community Engagement Officer, concluded:
“We’re really keen to see other businesses in the borough join the Armed Forces Covenant and be rewarded via the Employer Recognition Scheme. This would mean that they could also take part in beneficial training like the Sandhurst Challenge. The next one is being held in September 2017. If anyone would like more information, they should feel free to get in touch with me.”
